By When Jenna Lyons, former creative director and president of J. Crew announced she was launching a beauty line—her first project since stepping down from the mega-brand in 2017, the end of her 27-year tenure—one might expect she’d roll out a line of signature poppy red lipsticks, the kind she wore herself and made famous in the company catalogues, where they were usually worn with little other makeup and scraped-back hair. Through Loveseen, which launches today, Lyons and co-creator with Troi Ollivierre (former J. Crew makeup artist and founder of Troy Ollivierre Beauty) created the ultimate faux lash wardrobe.
While beauty may seem like a hard left turn, this particular corner of the industry is personal to Lyons. “I don’t have eyelashes,” she says. Lyons suffers from incontinentia pigmenti, a genetic condition that, among many other things, affects lash growth. “I'm keenly aware of how transformative eyelashes can be and how they can impact how people see themselves and how others see them...I thought maybe this could be a sweet spot for me," she adds.
The designer also found herself really comfortable in the beauty world, which isn’t that surprising given her talent for bringing Fashion-with-a-capital-F to a wider audience. “Beauty had allure in the sense that it didn't matter what size, age, gender or ethnicity you were," says Lyons. "Anyone could play, and it didn't have the same pace that the fashion industry did.”
Loveseen offers 10 different styles of cruelty-free lashes, each designed to work on every eye shape and skin tone (Lyons and Ollivierre tested them out on a tremendous variety of models, and continue to, a process Lyons likens to J. Crew fittings). Lyons’s favorite model: The Jack, a super-subtle lash designed to enhance, not overpower.
“I love big bright eyes and lashes,” says Lyons, who says that The Jack—and all Loveseen lashes—give you enough definition to pair with a red lip, without requiring you do "a full eye beat." The lashes come in black, light brown, and brown-black as well.
Other standouts from the line include The Levi, short, not-even-a-half-strip lashes designed to give eyes a subtle lift, and The Luca, false lashes designed specifically for hooded eyes (finally).
The packaging is equally as thoughtful. While most lashes are sold in layers of plastic, Loveseen's come in a tray made of paper pulp, a box made from recycled cardboard, and are wrapped in recyclable paper printed with soy-based ink. Well-designed, understated, and accessible? Sounds very Jenna Lyons.
Loveseen eyelashes are available to shop on loveseen.com, starting at $16.50.
This article has been updated since publication.
